


The False Stark

by Melancholy_Incarnate



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom, Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Uncle Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-03-13 07:03:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13565352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melancholy_Incarnate/pseuds/Melancholy_Incarnate
Summary: Y/n Stark. Tony Stark's niece. Damn good at being a pain in the ass. But you're family, so what can he do.





	1. Chapter 1

"Jarvis, what's the plan for today?" Tony Stark asked as he stood at his window.

"Good morning, Mr. Ass. Today you will be meeting with the foreign dignitary from Germany for the Ass Expo."

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Say my name again, would you?" Tony requested.

"Anthony Edward Ass, sir."

He heard faint cackling from the kitchen and the faint whir as the tiny audio drone returned to its creator. He went to find his niece and found her sitting calmly on one of the tall bar stools. 

"Y/n!" he sighed in exasperation.

"Tony."

"Stop hacking Jarvis."

"I will make no such promises," she stated smoothly as she sipped orange juice.

He rolled his eyes. His darling niece had come to live with him only one year ago and she'd already wormed her way into his heart. Tony loved her like a sister. Like a best friend. Like a partner in crime. She was almost his equal in intelligence, even at fifteen. He had brought in the top minds to teach her. No niece of his was going to be lacking in education, he vowed. But within three months, she had earned three bachelor's degrees. Last week, she had gotten the full transcript to list a PhD and five bachelor's degrees. Though he might not tell Y/n often, he was proud of her. 

"Get another PhD and stop hacking my stuff and I'll... I'll let you help me in the workshop. Deal?"

She shook his hand, sealing the verbal contract.

"Hell yes it's a deal! The last test before I get the next one is in two weeks." She laughed.

"I just got played, didn't I." It wasn't really a question.

"Big time, Uncle T. Now go work on the new suit designs. I want to see them when I'm done with my work." 

Tony Stark, genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist, patted his niece on the shoulder and went downstairs.

* * *

At six in the morning precisely, Y/n grabbed the dry cleaning and carefully hung it on a chair. She went to her room and changed out of the gray t-shirt and sweatpants she was wearing and into a simple long-sleeved green dress that reached her mid thighs. She slipped on thick black leggings and black suede booties and a plain gold chain that hung loosely about her neck. She brushed her (length), (color) hair and walked downstairs. She fixed Jarvis and thought of cool tech she could make with all of her uncle's supplies at her disposal until 7 a.m. 

At seven, she grabbed tomatoes, basil, peppers, a lime, and a dash of salt. She diced the tomatoes, mixed in a little bit of the spicy pepper juice and some lime juice, and added the salt and chopped basil. She wasn't particularly fond of salsa, but scrambled eggs and fresh salsa were one hell of a cure for hangovers, and the woman coming down the stairs almost certainly had a bad one. Y/n started to cook the eggs. 

"Hey. Over here," she called. "Breakfast will be ready in five minutes and a car will be here to pick you up at 8:15. Your dry cleaning is on the chair. Take a seat."

 _The poor thing,_ she thought as she looked over her shoulder to see the bewildered woman slowly sit down.

"Who-who are you?"

"Y/n Stark. And no, I am most certainly  _not_ his daughter. I'm his niece," she quickly elaborated. 

"H-hi then. I'm Sarah. Why are you here? Where are your parents?"

"I never met my dad. No idea who he might have been. He died before I was born. My mom never married, so I took my grandparents' last name. Uncle T. was her brother. When my mom died last year, he took me in. No other family to go to," Y/n explained casually as she dumped the eggs and salsa onto Sarah's plate. 

After a moment of silence, Sarah asked, "How did she die? Your mother, I mean."

"She jumped off a bridge. I know it sounds terrible of me, but I don't really miss her anymore. She was always so cold and distant and she was never home, so I never really got the 'mom experience'." She shrugged. "For future reference, salsa and eggs are very good at helping to cure hangovers. I've never had a hangover, but I've done my research and I have been doing this routine for months. Enjoy your breakfast and don't forget, the car will be here at 8:15." With that, she scampered up to her room.

And cried.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo I write for my own amusement and also for your amusement because ily guys. But I will still do whatever the hell I want. And what I want is for reader to become pals with a chick at a pizza place. So that's what's going to happen.

"Tony! Tony, I did it!" Y/n squealed as she sprinted down to his workshop. She burst into the room, bouncing with excitement. 

"What? What did you do?"

"I got my sixth PhD!" she blurted. 

"Congratulations! We are going to go get pizza to celebrate. And we are going to take the suits."

"Suits? Oh my god. No way. No fucking way."

"It's not a full suit, just a kind of passenger suit. You won't be controlling it."

"Well duh. I don't know the first thing about flying."

"Jarvis," he commanded. "Suit us up."

The AI complied. The suit Y/n got was far less bulky. No weapons, but emergency flight gear. It was a shimmery blue-green and black. She stood very still as robots pieced the suit together around her. She definitely wasn't going to admit it to Uncle Tony, but she was absolutely terrified. 

"Are you sure this is safe?" she asked.

"Nope." And with that, they were flying into the dark December night. She shot through the air, looking at Stark Tower and all of its lights. 

"Six PhDs in ten years. Natasha is going to flip," said Tony.

"Nat's coming?" 

"Well, yeah! All of them are coming. Even Thor. I called them as we were taking off. It's a major achievement. Not as major as creating the Iron Man suit, but hey..."

"Uncle Tony, I will not hesitate to switch all of your hair products with green hair dye."

"I was kidding, I was kidding!"

"Watch your back, old man!" Y/n threatened jokingly.

* * *

When they walked into the pizza place, everyone was staring at a huge man in extremely conspicuous garb. They waited for about six or seven minutes before a small, frazzled-looking young woman came rushing over to help them.

"Oh my god, my boss is going to fire me.." she muttered when she recognized Tony Stark. "I'm so sorry Mr. Stark! Did I keep you waiting? I'm the only one on duty tonight and- Are you with the big guy who looks like he just came from the Renaissance fair? Right this way," she said hurriedly. 

"I'm so so sorry, sir! I can't find a chair... well,  _big_ enough," she apologized at the massive figure that was Thor. 

"It's quite alright," said Tony when he saw the broken chair beside Thor. "I'll pay for the chair he broke." He handed her three hundred dollars. "Is that enough?"

Her dusty blue eyes went very wide. "I-I can't, sir! It's too much! This chair cost fifty at most!" She handed back the money and the Starks took a seat. She slipped her professional mask back on. "I'm Denny, and I'll be your server today. How many will be in your party? I can have more tables brought over if necessary."

"Six more."

"And what can I get you three to drink?"

"Lemonade, please," asked Y/n politely.

"I'll have a beer," said the tech tycoon.

"I'll just have a water, please," requested the god of thunder.

Denny all but fled off to the kitchens and came back with their drinks a minute later. They thanked her and she ran off to attend to some other customers. She asked several groups to leave and gave them refunds until there were only three parties left. She went to the next table and when she handed them their money back and told them her boss had ordered her to clear out the restaurant, they began to hurl verbal abuse at her. Thor was on his way over to assist the overstressed woman when one of the rowdy men smacked her ass. 

"That is no proper way to treat a lady," the Asgardian stated. "Now do as she bids you and leave." They took the subtle threat and left. The last group went without a fight. 

"Are you alright, lady Denny?"

"Oh, um, yes. Thank you. And just Denny is fine." She began to vigorously clean the table and when she was done, she gestured at the booth. "Now that the booth here is free, I believe you should be able to sit down without fear of breaking another chair," she laughed. Y/n and Tony seated themselves in the booth beside Thor. 

"Would you like to order now or wait until the rest of your party arrives?"

"We'll wait," interjected Y/n. "Why don't you have a seat? You look like you've had a very long day."

"Well, I really shouldn't-"

"We insist."

Denny sat nervously on the edge of the seat.

"So how did you end up working here?" asked Tony.

"I'm trying to pay off student loans from medical school."

"Are you a doctor?" he asked. She nodded.

"I just can't find a place that's willing to take me." She put her face in her hands. "This isn't what I wanted to do with my life," she said just barely above a whisper. Suddenly remembering herself, she shot to her feet. "Let me go get you guys some breadsticks!" she said a little too cheerily. The saccharine smile on her face slipped as she turned away and she scurried to the kitchen.

"Tony. Do you think we could get her a job patching up the Avengers after missions? She seems like a good person," Y/n said.

"I agree. She has a kind heart," Thor concurred. 

Tony pulled up the girl's record. It was clean.  _Denny Emilia Weaver. Age 26, born December 13... yadda yadda yadda.... Graduated New York University School of Medicine with a doctoral degree, volunteers at a local teenager shelter, freelance singer?_

"Alright. Fine. We'll give her a shot."

* * *

"Y/n!" 

"Natasha! Where's Clint and the Cap?"

"On their way," the redhead replied. "I don't know if Clint has forgiven you yet for that prank you pulled."

"Totally worth it," answered Y/n.

"I do not understand," cut in Thor.

"Last month, Y/n sent Barton a three hundred pound bag of birdseed and a note that said 'for your midnight snacks'," explained Tony. 

Thor roared with laughter. "Because his name is Hawkeye! That is very clever!"

"Clearly cleverer than you," a voice said from the door. Y/n looked up. 

"Bird Brain!" she grinned. Clint walked into the pizza parlor and sat between Natasha and Y/n.

"I'm going to get you back for the birdseed. Eventually. But I can't stay mad at you right now. You're the one buying!"

"Actually," Tony piped up, "I am."

"Close enough," Thor, Y/n, Clint, and Natasha said in unison.

Denny came out of the kitchen, plate of breadsticks steaming and fresh. She set the platter down in the middle of the table and smiled at the new arrivals. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Sweet tea," said Nat.

"Root beer," answered Hawkeye.

"And I'll have a water," requested Steve as he walked inside. "No ice." The group laughed.

Sam came up behind him. "Orange soda, please."

"Right away," Denny said.

"Dr. Banner says he can't make it. And Fury needs you at HQ, Stark," informed Sam.

"Which Stark?" Tony and Y/n asked simultaneously.

"Tony."

"Fine. I trust you can get a ride home, Y/n?" Tony asked. "Oh, and one of you needs to take Denny. She's going to be our new doc."

At the mention of her name, Denny came out of the back. "What? Your new doc? Are you serious?!"

Y/n nodded.

The soon-to-be-ex waitress stood in shocked silence for a moment. "Thank you. Very much." She was too stunned to even be excited. "Now may I take your order?"

"Two large cheese pizzas and two large pepperoni pizzas, please," asked Y/n. The waitress went quickly to the kitchen and relayed their order. She came back a minute later with their drinks. 

"Sooo.... How am I getting to Stark Tower?" she queried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry these chapters are so short and it feels like I'm rushing things. But fear not. There is a reason.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drama, danger, stuff moving along on the romance front... This chapter is so much fun to write.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know my update schedule is shit, but hang in there. 
> 
> Also, Denny is now another main character. Sometimes the story will move on without Y/n, sometimes without Denny.

"It's all so... Beautiful." Denny stared up at the building ahead. Its lights twinkled in the rapidly deepening darkness. "I mean, I've seen it before, but never with the prospect of actually going inside." She was sitting in the backseat of a sleek black car weaving in and out of traffic at highly illegal speeds with her face as close to the glass as she could get it without actually touching it. She was so nervous and excited that she shot out of the car as soon as it had stopped in the parking level of the tower. 

"So... What now?" 

* * *

Y/n walked around the duck pond in the gardens. Everything had a light dusting of powdery snow and it glittered in the faint moonlight. It was four o' clock in the morning, and dawn was still a ways off. No one came out here this early. She was all alone out here. Peaceful, she thought. At least until a loud voice called behind her "On your left!" Someone ran past her so quickly and startled her so badly that Y/n nearly jumped out of her skin. Instead of jumping out of her skin, however, she accidentally leaped straight through the 2-inch crust of ice on top and into the pond. It was surprisingly deep. There must have been a drop-off close to the edge. But she didn't register any of these things, as the shock of the frigid black water forced all of the air from her lungs in an involuntary huff. Then, she was sucked under the ice. With her muscles already starting to stiffen from the chill, she tried to find the hole she fell through. It was too dark to see anything.  _Oh god, oh god, I'm going to die here. Fucking hell._ With a surprising amount of effort, she managed to break through the ice. She gasped as her head broke the surface and she tried to climb onto the ice. It was too thin. It crumbled beneath her. She ended up breaking a path to the edge of the frosty pool. Y/n tried to kick herself onto the ice, but she was too cold. Her shivering made it impossible.

Unbeknownst to her, Steve Rogers was trying to figure out a way to get Y/n back to the land without breaking more of the ice or making it impossible for her to keep her head above the water. If he fell in, he wouldn't be able to get himself out, let alone another person. He was about to run and get a rope when she got close enough for him to reach her and pull her out.

Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed Y/n. She looked up, barely registering that she had been pulled out of the pond. She had been in the water for fifteen minutes. It might have been enough to kill someone else, but she was tough. Even so, her lips were blue as Steve looked at her.  _Guess I'm more of a capsicle than he is right now,_ she thought.

"C-c-capt-t-tain," she managed to stutter through her chattering teeth. 

"We better get you inside."

Y/n couldn't even stand, body numb from the cold. Her hair had already frozen about her head, and her clothes were the same. Even her eyelashes had ice crystals formed on them. Rogers noticed and was worried enough that he just picked her up and ran her back indoors. She didn't even protest, just snuggled into the warmth of his chest. That was  _not_ a good sign. She  _always_ insisted that she could do things on her own.

* * *

Denny took her patient's temperature. 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The Cap had already filled her in on what had happened. He had rushed in with a half-frozen Y/n in his arms. She was barely shivering anymore. That meant that her temperature had dropped dangerously low. Denny's readings had only confirmed that. 

"We need to get her out of these wet clothes  _now_ or the likelihood of her dying goes up. A lot."

Steve looked at her, horrified.

"Go find a warm set of pajamas or something and a bunch of blankets. Hurry."

He sprinted off to get the stuff she needed. Meanwhile, the doctor stripped her employer's niece down impersonally. She was just a patient that needed to be treated. No matter that Iron Man would murder her if his niece died. No matter. She managed to give her a very short, warm bath before Steve returned. Captain Rogers came back and closed his eyes as he handed her the pile of fuzzy cloth.  _What a gentleman. That must be exhausting._ She quickly got Y/n out of the warm water and into the pajamas and bundled her in the blankets. She was conscious, but only just. 

"Steve!" Dr. Denny Weaver called. "Is there a room with a fireplace? Can you help me get her there?"

He ran into the room. He seemed to be doing a lot of running around today. He nodded and carefully picked her up off of the little couch she had been lying on. They took Y/n to the lounge and Steve did something that Denny didn't see, but there was a fire in the fireplace when he backed away, so she didn't care. Steve lifted her up again and moved her closer to the warmth. She was asleep in the cocoon of blankets by then, and lay curled on the floor in front of him. 

"She's shivering again. That's good," informed Denny when she saw the fear written across the supersoldier's face. When it didn't dissipate, she looked at his expression more closely. Then something clicked.

"You love her, don't you?" she asked quietly. He looked up sharply, stricken. His face turned beet red and he quickly looked back down. Denny's suspicions had definitely been confirmed. 

"She doesn't know?"

He shook his head. "I've known her for three- no, four years now. We met when she showed up to an Avengers meeting with freshly cooked steaks and grilled asparagus for everyone. I immediately knew she was related to Tony somehow because she gave him a ZooPals plate and told him 'Last time I made you steak and asparagus, you barely touched the asparagus. I feel like I am the only one who is concerned about your health. You're lucky that plate is the only thing I replaced. If I had been a crueler person, I would have replaced your steak with tofu. Now eat your vegetables this time or you won't get any chocolate-covered strawberries.' She gave us all food and drinks and it was great. Y/n made everyone feel welcome. Apparently she had known Natasha and Clint and a few of the others for a couple of years, because they kept cracking jokes. We became almost best friends the next year when she met Director Fury for the first time and she somehow managed to glue a googly eye to his eyepatch without him noticing. We all had a good laugh at that one. She managed to get Tony blamed for it too, but it was so funny Tony wasn't even mad about being blamed!" Steve grinned at the memory and absentmindedly stroked Y/n's (length) (color) hair. In a half-conscious state, Y/n cuddled closer to him.

Dr. Weaver checked her temperature again. 93.6. She was safe enough. She rose to her feet. "She'll be fine now. Just keep an eye on her. Tell her when she wakes up."

"Tell her what?" Rogers asked. But Denny was already gone. He looked at the clock. 4:52 a.m.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you all just want a bunch of smutty one-shots? Because I can do that. Let me know in the comments.  
> Also, this chapter was partially based on a true story. I fell in the creek at my local park because someone (my now best friend) ran past and it spooked the shit outta me. Thankfully it was June, so no ice. Still got totally soaked, though.


	4. Chapter 4

Y/n opened her eyes tiredly.

"Hey," Steve said in friendly greeting.

"Hey," she replied blearily. "Why is it so freaking cold in here? How did I get h- oh." Apparently the events that had already transpired caught up to her. "Oh yeah. I fell into a pond." She groaned. "Oh my god. I am  _never_ gonna live this one down." She glanced at the clock. 5:18 a.m. She moved to get up, but Steve pushed her back down to lie on the floor again.

"No, Y/n. You have to stay here and get warmer. Your body temperature is still really low. Dr. Weaver said you were out of immediate danger, but that you still have to get warmer," he explained. He made as if to move his hand from her shoulder but Y/n grabbed it and held it there.

"Dude! Why in the hell are you so warm?! I mean- Jesus! You're like a space heater!" She marveled at the heat coming off his hand for a minute before sitting up and leaning against him. Steve was too shocked to do anything other than accept it. After he got over the shock three or five minutes later, he put his arm around her and pulled her closer. She seemed to have fallen asleep again and did not move when he gave her a side hug. 

"I love you," he whispered to her sleeping form.

"As a friend or as something more?" she asked, startling him.

"I thought you were asleep!"

"Clearly not. Don't avoid the question, Stevie."

He sighed. "As.... as something more."

"Oh thank god, because if you didn't that would make what I'm about to do really awkward," Y/n said cryptically.

"What are you-" He was cut off mid-sentence because that was when Y/n stood on her knees and kissed him. It was short and sweet and everything a first kiss should be. It was perfect. 

"What the fresh FUCK do you think you're doing with my niece, you fossil?!"

Oh shit.

" _I_ kissed  _him_ , Tony. And anyway, it's none of your business! You are not my parent. I am an adult and I am capable of making my own decisions." The rest of the team had rushed down to see what the danger was after Tony yelled. Neither he nor Y/n noticed.

"No you aren't! You don't even have a job!"

"Yes. I do," she said, suddenly very quiet. "My job is keeping you alive. When I was sixteen, you almost jumped off the top of the Empire State Building. I talked you down from that ledge. When I was eighteen, you tried to hang yourself. Thank God the fall wasn't far enough to break your neck. I cut the rope. You were passed out from hypoxia. I did CPR while JARVIS called for an ambulance. Even then, you wouldn't have made it if I hadn't found that rubber tubing and opened your crushed windpipe. When I was twenty-one, I was trying to get you out of a party because Pepper called and said something about a very important meeting the next day and that I couldn't let you get too drunk. We were walking through the unlit parking lot and a man with a knife showed up right in front of us. I jumped in front of you as he tried to stab you. He punctured my right lung, then he nicked my jugular in anger at my interference. I thought I was going to die because of some stupid fucking meeting. We're lucky Happy showed up when he did, because otherwise you'd be dead and that would mean I'd be dead for no reason. I don't remember anything after that. When I was twenty-two, one of the people that  _you_ put behind bars escaped. He tried to throw you off the balcony but I shoved you out of the way. Even though it was a glancing blow, he was big enough that it was still powerful enough to knock me off the balcony. I fell ten stories onto the hard concrete. By the time I hit the ground, one of your suits had come to your rescue. Do you remember the sight of my thigh bone stabbed through my leg? Because I sure do. It was red. Seven broken ribs, a shattered ulna, a broken pelvis, and a snapped clavicle. That was the price of saving your life. Now tell me that that is not a full-time job, _Anthony_."

"I REGRET EVER TAKING YOU IN! GET OUT!" he roared. If her manner had been chilly before, it had gone to Absolute Zero. Y/n's eyes went dead. Her face was utterly calm and still. "I SAID GO!" She had no reaction other than to turn and walk upstairs to her room. Tony grabbed the strongest alcohol he could find after a cursory glance and drank straight from the bottle as he sat down on the couch. 

Once in her room, Y/n changed into jeans, a t-shirt, a hoodie, a heavy winter coat, and a pair of snow boots. Grabbing a duffle, she shoved several changes of clothes, some toiletries, her passport, and a single photograph of her and the team smiling in front of a newly constructed Stark Tower. She unlocked her safe and retrieved all of the money within. Less than ten percent of what she had earned from ten years of selling software. The rest she had invested or used to buy tangible assets. Mostly real estate. She was one of the best in the business of marketing intelligence software. She didn't use her real name, of course, and she covered her tracks well. She didn't want her uncle knowing about her secret nest-egg. Y/n took the $50,000 in cash and stashed it in the hidden pocket she had sewn into her coat. In the other hidden pocket she had made was a stun gun. Just in case of extreme emergency.  _Just one thing left to do now,_ Y/n thought. She carefully wrote out a letter. Only when she reached the end  and saw the water splotches on the paper did she realize she was crying. She wiped away the tears and steeled herself for what she was about to do. 

Precisely one hour after she walked upstairs, she walked back down them. She plugged a tiny flash drive into Tony's computer. She broke into the security system and activated the virus. The cameras would be down for no more than five minutes, but JARVIS would be out of commission for at least four and a half hours.

"Sorry, JARVIS," she whispered when she hit enter. 

And just like that, Y/n vanished into the crowded streets of New York City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a short chapter after so long, but I lost my motivation for a while there so I'm sorry.
> 
> Next chapter is really sad. Remember, all this takes place near Christmastime. I actually cried writing the upcoming chapter, honestly.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just want to watch you squirm. Wondering what happened to our poor, dear reader. Comment what you think went down in the 13 days since her disappearance. Who knows? Maybe one of you will be right...

The streets of New York City bustled with activity. People rushing this way and that, shouting, car horns honking. Chaos. Y/n ignored it all. She relived the conversation with her only living relative over and over in her mind. Every time she blinked, she could see his face go from stricken to furious. Hear her own voice go dead and cold. Taste the apprehension of everyone else in the room. Feel the bitter tears threatening to spill and then swallowing them. Her vision had gone gray and colorless when she'd smothered her emotions. Everything was suddenly clear and simple and logical. Y/n couldn't return. The words couldn't be unsaid. If she left, she had more than enough to live on. She could buy her own computer equipment and things and continue her job as a software developer. All she had to do was find somewhere that  _wasn't here._

* * *

Seattle. That was where she'd go. Y/n had been renting out the apartments in a building on 2nd Ave. One of the rent contracts had just ended and there was a vacancy. 305, if she remembered correctly. And she almost  _always_ remembered correctly. She hailed a taxi.

"Take me to JFK Airport." 

* * *

Y/n stared at the pay phone on the sidewalk in front of a tiny bookstore. It had a big red and green sign on it that said "CLOSED FOR CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!"  _Christmas already?_ So much had happened in the last few days; everything had become a pain and fear-filled blur. Y/n glanced around anxiously at the lights and festivity surrounding her. No one noticed her. Everyone just went on about their evening, wrapped up in buying gifts and being with friends and family. Being happy. Unafraid. Not like Y/n would have known anything about any of that. She shook her head to clear away the pain. Hesitated in front of the old machine. The rusted metal and chipped blue paint seemed to mock her indecision. Her weakness. Her _fear_. So with trembling fingers, Y/n put four quarters in the slot. Clink clink clink clink. Hastily, she punched in the number.  _His_ number. 

* * *

Steve reread the note for what seemed like the hundredth time. It probably _was_ the hundredth time. 

Steve looked down at the phone ringing on the bed beside his hand. Thirteen days since Y/n had left. Maybe it was her? No. No. She wouldn't tell him where she was like this. Probably a telemarketer or something. His finger moved to hit "decline" but he couldn't do it. He just couldn't. Not when there was even the slightest possibility that it could be her. With a heavy heart, he clicked "accept" and held the phone to his ear. 

"Hello?"

To his surprise, he heard a voice. It was sweet and clear and beautiful, just like the woman it belonged to. Just like the woman his heart belonged to.

"Steve, I'm in Seattle. I can't stay on the line for long or they'll find me." She gasped. "They're coming. Dear god, they're coming!"

She broke into a sob on the last word. Y/n sounded so afraid. He'd never heard her sound afraid like this before. His heart shattered for her. 

"I love you, Stevie. I'm so sorry," that oh-so-lovely voice said tremulously.

"Wait! Y/n, what's going on?!" The dial tone greeted his panicked words. For the first time in a long, long time, Captain Steven Grant Rogers, super soldier, World War II veteran, Captain America, leader of the most elite superhero team on Earth, felt real helplessness.

"JARVIS, track the call!"

Momentary silence.

"I have the coordinates, sir. Would you like me to alert the team and put the coordinates into the Quinjet GPS?"

"Yes!"

_What the hell had happened to Y/n?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soon we will discover what the hell happened to our darling Y/n. Soon, but not yet.  
> She has been found. Rescued. Rescued from physical tormentors. But can she be rescued from the tormentors inside her head?  
> Also, sexual tension just for shits and giggles. (She's really out of it, so it's not her fault. Just letting you know. Also, I do what I want.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whatever higher power may exist has certainly blessed me. I have found inspiration! My muse has returned. Whatever the fuck else she may be, she's a fickle bitch, let me tell you. At least maybe it's a she. It changes. Ever fluid, it transmogrifies into whatever it must become.

"Stevie, I missed you so much," Y/n whispered as he held her bruised and battered body against his chest.  _Was she always this light?_ Steve asked himself.  _No,_ he decided with a pang of sorrow.  _No..._

It had been 14 days. 14 days of agony, not knowing if she was okay or even alive. This was almost worse. He had clutched her frail form the whole way back to the tower. Medical personnel were waiting when they arrived and took her from him. Told him he wasn't allowed to go in and stay with her. When he glared at them, it wasn't Steve Rogers they were denying entry. It was Captain America. They had quickly acquiesced to his demands. As soon as he was sufficiently clean, he was allowed within the inner sanctum of the Med Bay.

Y/n looked like hell. Hooked up to innumerable IVs and machines that measured only god knew what, she looked tiny and sick and hurt. It hit Steve like a sledgehammer. Like Thor had thrown Mjolnir straight into his chest and crushed his heart. Nurses scurried out of his way as he rushed to her side. Steve took no notice of them. He had eyes only for Y/n. He pulled a chair over to her bedside and sat down in it as he took her small hand in his. He could see how skinny she had become in the days they had spent apart. 

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled weakly when she could finally focus her vision on the man dutifully at her side. 

"Steve..." she said, her voice barely a whisper. "Come here," Y/n said. He didn't notice the loopy edge to her words and moved so he wouldn't have to strain to hear her.

"I want to see you naked," she giggled in his ear. Fucking drugs, man. 

_Oh dear god, Y/n._

"I think she's had enough morphine!" he called to one of the nurses, chuckling embarrassedly. She hurried over and adjusted the drip. Y/n was already asleep.

* * *

Y/n came to slowly. She blinked against the harsh lighting of the room. 

"How long was I out? Did I say anything embarrassing while I was drugged?" she said, her voice scratchy and painful.

"Something like 'I want to see you naked'? No. Not at all." Steve grinned. Y/n groaned and tried to hide her face, but it hurt too much to move. She settled for closing her eyes. "You were out for four days."

"Fucking hell... Can you just kill me now, please? Jesus... I mean it's bad enough that you've already seen me naked- what is it? twice now? -but now while I was super doped up... God, if you exist, just smite me already!"

"I haven't seen you naked! Oh my god, no. I do  _not_ want to see you naked. Ahem, I'm sorry; I mean, I  _do_ want to see you naked, but-" Steve hid his face in his hands, redder than the communist manifesto. "That's not what I meant to say. That is  _not_ what I meant to say. Oh god... I'm just gonna... leave..."

Y/n laughed and slowly sat up to be at his eye level. She winced with the effort, but smoothed it away quickly. 

"I had extremely strong pain meds in my system when I said that stuff. What's your excuse, Rogers?" she joked. He gave her a deadpan stare but his expression softened when he saw her smile. It was infectious. 

Steve brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "I was so worried... When I got that phone call, I thought... I thought..." He couldn't even give voice to his fears. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Yeah, me too. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to do this."

"What-"

For the second time in their (admittedly brief) official relationship, Y/n silenced his confusion with a kiss. 

Soon after, she fell back into the dark embrace of unconsciousness for two more days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a reason for why I do things so do not question my methods. Probably gonna rewrite this whole damn thing eventually, anyway.


	7. Chapter 7

Day 1

Y/n ducked and weaved through the crowded airport as she munched on a giant pretzel. Neon signs assaulted her vision from every angle, but she payed them no mind. She wouldn't have been able to focus on them anyway; she was too nervous to pay attention to much right then. But one thing she was able to pay attention to was her desperate need to get to her terminal. She scanned the signs for her terminal. Her flight didn't leave for another hour, but she had to get somewhere where she could sit and look out a window or something. Crowds were something to be avoided, but this was a necessary hell. Y/n's nerves were fraying in this chaotic mass of humanity. The press of people was suffocating, the constant chatter from all sides overwhelming. God, she didn't know if she could stand another hour of this torment.

She sat in one of those uncomfortable blue chairs. The ones that feel like they've been upholstered in old carpet. She fucking hated those chairs. The morass of people continued to mill about, looking for their gates or food or someone who was picking them up or whatever the hell else. It felt like an eternity until her flight was called. Her head was pounding as she boarded the plane. Zone 1, seat 23A. She had the seat by the window. Next to her sat two young men, both with reddish-brown hair. Twins. Interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued. My life is hell right now and I can't focus on this particular work at the time, but I'll try to write more when I can muster the motivation.


	8. NOT A REAL CHAPTER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR UPDATE

I think I'll be taking a break from writing anything until further notice. I am really really sorry but there's a lot of stuff going on in my life right now. After I can get eye surgery so it doesn't give me horrible headaches to look at these tiny letters for long enough to actually write anything worth reading on this godforsaken site, I might come back from my hiatus. Until then, I may post some things, but not much and not often. I'm sorry.


End file.
